Fit

Loris (Beadle-Blair) is the new drama and dance teacher at a fairly typical secondary school in London. And he immediately starts clamping down on bullying and intolerance that are rampant - not only the physical violence and verbal abuse, but also prejudicial language like calling an ugly shirt "gay". As he gets to know the students, he realises that all of them are dealing with these issues in intensely personal ways, and they're going to need to open up and be honest with each other if they hope to get along.

Sexuality is the main theme here, and the script perhaps overloads the story with gay characters, but also makes it clear that it's not as easy to tell a person's sexuality in the real world as it is in movies and on TV where stereotypes abound. In fact, the film is quietly dealing with both gay and straight young people who are perhaps overcompensating for their own inner confusion. But the point is that none of that matters if we allow everyone to be themselves without prejudice.

The energetic cast bring these characters to life with loads of personality.

They may be a decade too old to play teens, but they nicely capture the youthful physicality. And everything from swaggering bravado to tortured soul-searching rings very true. There isn't a weak link among the actors, although perhaps the thugs are a little too intense. But then some schools are probably a lot worse than this.

By centring on the interaction between six key characters and their friends, the story touches a wide range of important issues without getting overserious.

And yet the point is made loud and clear that we all have gay friends and family members, whether we know it or not, and even casual language can cause pain. And along with the lively direction and energetic music, Beadle-Blair makes it clear what kids can do to make their lives easier: to be themselves even when it seems utterly hopeless.